The class of polymers of carbon monoxide and olefin(s) has been known for some time. Brubaker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,286, produced such polymers of relatively low carbon monoxide content in the presence of free radical initiators, e.g., peroxy compounds. U.K. 1,081,304 produced similar polymers of higher carbon monoxide content in the presence of alkylphosphines complexes of palladium salts as catalyst. Nozaki extended the reaction to produce linear alternating polymers in the presence of arylphosphine complexes of palladium moieties and certain inert solvents. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,412.
More recently, the class of linear alternating polymers has become of greater interest in part because of the greater availability of the polymers. More recent processes for the production of these linear alternating polymers, now becoming known as polyketones or polyketone polymers, are illustrated by a number of published European Patent Applications of which 121,965, 181,014, 213,671 and 257,663 are illustrative. The process, now considered broadly conventional, typically includes the use of a catalyst formed from a Group VIII metal selected from palladium, cobalt or nickel, the anion of a strong non-hydrohalogenic acid and a bidentate ligand of phosphorus, arsenic, antimony or nitrogen.
The resulting polyketone polymers are relatively high molecular weight materials having established utility as premium thermoplastics in the production of shaped articles by methods conventional for the processing of thermoplastics. Although the polymers are relatively stable, the linear alternating polymers do undergo some loss of desirable properties when exposed to heat for extended periods. It would be of advantage to provide compositions comprising the linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon which demonstrate an improved heat stability.